England cruise past Wales to set up Sweden quarter final

Wales 1 England 6

July 13 – England strolled into the Euro 2025 quarter-finals with a thumping 6-1 victory over neighbours Wales in St Gallen, confirming a last-eight meeting with Sweden and sending the tournament debutants home without a point.

Earlier in the day, St Gallen’s city centre was a canvas of colour and cheer. England’s white mingled with the red of Wales in a whirl of chants, paper flags, and good-natured one-upmanship. This felt more like a knockout tie than a final group fixture, and the atmosphere carried over into a match full of goals, emotion, and European tournament theatre.

By kick-off, England already had a feeling they could finish no higher than second in Group D with France expected to beat the Netherlands in Basel. But that didn’t dull their edge. If anything, it sharpened it. This was a performance brimming with intensity, confidence, and flashes of attacking brilliance that will make Sweden sit up and take notice.

For Wales, this was always a mountain. They needed a four-goal victory to keep their faint hopes alive—an unlikely prospect even before a ball was kicked. But their fans sang like believers, and their team fought like it, too.

England started raggedly, misplacing passes and looking momentarily unsure. But fortune favours the bold – and those with VAR. In the 13th minute, Georgia Stanway went down, clipped under a challenge from Carrie Jones. Referee Frida Klarlund initially awarded a free-kick on the edge of the box. Replays showed minimal contact, but crucially, it occurred inside the area.

Penalty given. Red protests ignored.

Stanway, unfazed by the fuss, drove it low and hard to the keeper’s left. England led, and the dam began to crack.

In the 23rd minute, Alessia Russo seized on to a loose ball, slipped it to Ella Toone whose first effort was blocked, but the Manchester United midfielder made no mistake with the rebound. Two goals to the good, and the Weigman swagger was back.

Moments later, Lauren James paused time on the right flank, stopping the ball dead before releasing Toone with a clever reverse pass. Her cross met Lauren Hemp at the back post to make it 3-0 in no time at all. The red wall of Wales behind the goal barely had time to groan before it was four: the England attack combined again with Russo finishing the move smartly.

At 4-0 by half-time, the Lionesses were purring.

Wiegman sensed the job was done and shuffled her pack into the second half, earning a few of her star players a well-earned rest. Substitute Beth Mead – back from injury and hungry – added a fifth, slaloming through the box and finishing with her left to the delight of the England bench, who rose as one to celebrate a goal that meant much more than just a tweak of the scoreline.

Wales, to their credit, found a moment for their fans to take home with them. Jess Fishlock, their evergreen talisman, threaded a clever ball through to Hannah Cain on the left, who struck past Hannah Hampton in net.

But England weren’t finished. Aggie Beever-Jones, on for Russo, nodded in her first major-tournament goal – another glimpse of the depth Wiegman has at her disposal. Six goals, six different scorers, and a statement made.

Wales will go home with heads held high. This tournament has been brutal to them in draw and in execution, but they’ve taken their all-important first steps onto the big stage.

England, meanwhile, march on. Their finishing was clinical, their movement at time electric, and their bench brimming with quality.

Sweden awaits. They dominated their group, that included Germany, from the start. The Lionesses now look ready for stronger opposition after an opening defeat to France. Of the quarter finals, this looks like being the one not to miss.

Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1752669280labto1752669280ofdlr1752669280owedi1752669280sni@g1752669280niwe.1752669280yrrah1752669280